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Airline Staff or Pilot Prejudices Based on Assumptions and Associated Hazards

In the fast-paced realm of aviation, where quick decisions carry significant weight, a pilot's most elusive adversary can be something subtler than adverse weather or equipment malfunction - it's Crew Expectation Bias. This psychological pitfall can potentially affect safety and even cause...

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3 min read
Crew Prejudice in Flights and Imminent Hazards
Crew Prejudice in Flights and Imminent Hazards

Airline Staff or Pilot Prejudices Based on Assumptions and Associated Hazards

Loosened Up on Expectation Bias

Sometimes, in the high-stakes world of aviation, a pilot's worst enemy is not extreme weather or mechanical failures, but a sneaky little phenomenon known as Flight Crew Expectation Bias. This cognitive trap can significantly impact safety and even lead to accidents.

So, What's Expectation Bias?

Simply put, it's when pilots rely on past experiences or assumptions to predict what happens during a flight. This can lead them to misinterpret info or miss critical warnings that signal a potential issue. For example, a pilot who's flown a route a dozen times without a hitch might expect a smooth approach on the next flight and ignore strange instrument readings.

And How's It Dangerous?

  • Missed Alerts: Pilots expecting a routine flight might dismiss odd instrument readings or fail to respond when an alarm goes off, causing delayed reactions to emerging emergencies.
  • Slow Responses: If a situation unfolds differently than expected, biased pilots may react more slowly—wasting valuable time in critical moments.
  • Narrow Focus: Expectation bias fuels confirmation bias, making pilots focus more on info that confirms their expectations and ignore contradictory evidence, potentially overlooking crucial details.

Real-World Examples

Expectation bias was a major player in several high-profile aviation accidents. Take the 2015 Asiana Airlines crash at San Francisco International Airport, where the pilots—who were accustomed to landing on a different runway with a steeper approach path—misjudged their altitude during landing on the assigned runway, leading to a tailstrike and subsequent runway excursion.

How Can We Make Things Safer?

Luckily, there are ways to combat this bias:

  • Crew Resource Management (CRM): CRM training emphasizes open communication and questioning assumed knowledge within the cockpit—encouraging a culture that challenges biases and fosters trust among crew members.
  • Instrument Cross-Checking: Regularly checking instruments and procedures helps reduce the risk of missing crucial details.
  • Flexibility: Remaining adaptable and ready to adjust plans in response to real-time info is vital to staying safe.
  • Awareness, Not Automation Reliance: Although automation plays a significant role in modern aviation, blind dependence can be a trap. Pilots must stay alert, keep their eyes on the sky, and maintain situational awareness.

Wrapping Things Up

By acknowledging expectation bias and taking preventative measures, flight crews can drastically improve safety in the cockpit. Establishing an open communication culture, cross-checking instruments, maintaining flexibility, and developing a healthy skepticism towards automation are all crucial tools in the fight against this cognitive trap—ensuring a safe and successful flight for everyone on board.

Resources for Further Reading

  • Helmreich, R. L., Merritt, A. C., & Wilhelm, J. A. (1999). The evolution of crew resource management training in commercial aviation. International Journal of Aviation Psychology, 9(1), 19-32.
  • Higginbotham, A. (2014). Black box thinking: Why most people never learn from their mistakes-but some do. Penguin.
  • Reason, J. (1990). Human error. Cambridge university press.
  • Federal Aviation Administration (FAA):
    • Advisory Circular 120-51H: Crew Resource Management Training https://www.tc.faa.gov/its/worldpac/techrpt/rd92-26.pdf

Insights to Enrich- Briefings: Structured preflight briefings that include a "threat analysis" technique help anticipate potential hazards, reduce expectation bias, and improve situational awareness. Postflight debriefings can help crews learn from their experiences and refine strategies.- Communication: Flight crews should learn to recognize communication-related threats that reinforce biases, and be trained in techniques to improve mutual understanding and uncover contradictory information.- Systematic Frameworks: Structured, systematic frameworks for risk and safety assessment minimize subjective interpretation and reduce the risk of personal bias.- FRATs and Leadership Development: Integrating Flight Risk Assessment Tools (FRATs) in the briefing process supports better situational awareness and decision-making. Fostering an open safety culture that encourages collaboration and questioning also helps to combat expectation bias.

  1. Aviation accidents, often rooted in the industry's high-pressure environment, can be exacerbated by expectation bias, a cognitive trap that misleads pilots to rely on past experiences or assumptions, leading to missed alerts, slow responses, and a narrow focus that might overlook crucial details.
  2. In the field of aviation finance, combat against expectation bias is essential for maintaining safety and reducing accidents. Measures such as adopting Crew Resource Management (CRM) training, instrument cross-checking, remaining flexible, and promoting awareness over automation reliance are crucial strategies to improve safety in the transportation sector.
  3. General-news outlets should cover the dangers of expectation bias in aviation accidents, as it highlights the significance of open communication, cross-checking instruments, and maintaining flexibility among flight crews to combat this cognitive trap and uphold safety standards within the aviation industry.

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